Visitor Centers
Stop at Sugarlands Visitor Center to view a free 20-minute film about the park. Begin your exploration of the park at a visitor center. Here you can pick up a park map or newspaper, have your questions answered by a ranger, and purchase books and guides to the park. Four visitor centers are located within the national park at Cades Cove, Oconaluftee, Sugarlands and Clingmans Dome. In addition, four information centers are located outside the park in the communities of Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Townsend. Two historic grist mills are open seasonally in the park. Both provide demonstrations of corn meal milling. Cades Cove Visitor Center Open every day except Christmas Day.
Location Inside the park near the mid-point of the 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road. Special Programs Ranger-led programs are conducted seasonally. Check at the visitor center for times. Exhibits Indoor and outdoor exhibits of Southern Mountain life and culture. Includes Cable Mill, a grist mill which operates spring through fall, the Becky Cable house, and other historic structures. Available Facilities Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. Public restrooms. Oconaluftee Visitor Center Open every day except Christmas Day
Location Inside the park, 2 miles north of Cherokee, NC, on US-441. Special Programs Ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. Check at the visitor center for location and times. Exhibits Visitor center museum exhibits tell the story of life in these mountains from native Americans and early European settlement time periods through the Civilian Conservation Corp and the development of the national park. The adjacent Mountain Farm Museum contains a fascinating collection of log structures including a farmhouse, barn, smokehouse, applehouse, corn cribs and others. Demonstrations of farm life are conducted seasonally. Available Facilities Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. Public restrooms and telephones. Soda and water machines. Backcountry permit station.
Sugarlands Visitor Center Open every day except Christmas Day.
From January 7 to mid-March 2013, the lobby at Sugarlands Visitor Center will be undergoing renovations to improve visitor services. During this time, the natural history museum portion of the visitor center will be closed to the public. All other services including general information, the park film, and the bookstore will remain available. Location Ranger-led programs conducted seasonally. Check at the visitor center for locations and times. Exhibits Free admission to 20-minute film about the park. Extensive natural history exhibits. Available Facilities Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. Public restrooms and telephones. Soda and water machines. Backcountry permit station. Clingmans Dome Visitor Contact Station
Location At the Clingmans Dome trailhead, 7 miles off US-441 on the Clingmans Dome Road. Available Facilities Great Smoky Mountains Association bookstore and shop. Park information. Public restrooms in parking area. Historic Grist Mills Cable Mill in Cades Cove Open March 12 through the Sunday following Thanksgiving 9:00-5:00 Location Inside the park near the mid-point of the 11-mile, one-way Cades Cove Loop Road. Exhibits Water-powered grist mill.
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Waterfalls
Waterfalls can be found on nearly every stream in the park. Read More
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Fall Leaf Season
Fall colors can be seen from October through early November in the park. Read More
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Download a Smokies Trip Planner
Information about favorite destinations, popular activities, and a park map Read More
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Wildlife Watching
Open areas such as Cades Cove and Cataloochee are good places to view wildlife. Read More
Did You Know?
About 100 native tree species make their home in Great Smoky Mountains National Park—more than in all of northern Europe. The park also contains one of the largest blocks of old-growth temperate deciduous forest in North America.